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Crafting Award-Winning Entries: A Guide for Agencies
In the competitive landscape of industry recognition, we recognise that writing award entries on behalf of clients is both an art and a science. As agencies, you have the (some would say unenviable!) task of getting to grips with your clients’ achievements and using those to solidify their position as industry leaders. However, navigating the intricacies of crafting a winning entry requires more than just showcasing accomplishments; it demands a strategic approach that captivates judges, and distinguishes your clients from the competition.
From understanding the criteria to crafting compelling narratives and quantifying results, we wanted to share some top tips and best practices to help agencies unlock success for their clients. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or new to the game, we want to equip you with the tools and insights needed to elevate your award entry game, specifically when it comes to the Global Good Awards.
Crucially, the tips we want to share are based on real life insight and experience, provided to us by the GGA judges; many have been working with us across numerous years, and all of them are highly experienced in their field. They spend hours scrutinising entries in order to score them, provide feedback on them and, ultimately, decide who is worthy of being crowned a winner! As such, we hope that what we have to share with you will put you in the best possible position for crafting a winning submission.
Who’s writing the entries?
If you want to give your client the best chance of winning – and thus present your skills as an agency in the best possible light – you want your best person on the job! What we mean by that in reality is someone with experience of both writing awards entries, as well as the industry. It’s rarely a good idea to allocate awards writing to a trainee or new employee, who may not have had been tasked with this type of work before.
What you will always want to do, is have as many pairs of eyes as possible on the final version before you submit. Set out a schedule that includes ample time for this part of the process, so you avoid rushing and submitting an entry with easily avoidable mistakes.
Climbing into your client’s shoes
If you haven’t been directly involved in the activities you’re writing about, it can be quite challenging to tell that story from the heart. The passion and dedication that your client has for their work can be tricky to emulate through the written word! Ensure you implement a process whereby the client is at the centre of the content, and that regular reviews are scheduled; you want to avoid a scenario where you’ve invested a lot of time and effort into a submission, only to be told you’ve missed some key points!
Draw up a list of requirements needed for the application (read the category description and criteria thoroughly, so you don’t miss anything), and have that to hand when you interview your client. You may also need to schedule in speaking to other stakeholders (such as members of the local community), the sustainability team, CEO’s of relevant partnership organisations etc. The more people you can speak to, the greater your understanding of what you’re writing about – which will make your job MUCH easier!
The Dreaded Deadline
We’ve mentioned the importance of regular reviews with your client, and that’s a really simple way to avoid the ‘Deadline Day of Doom’ scenario.
The submission deadline should never be the first time your client sees the ‘finished’ article. They’re much more likely to sign it off quickly, and without due attention, if they’re under pressure. If you hear the words ‘that’ll have to do’ – STOP! Because it’s not the best it can be and, ultimately, unlikely to win.
That’s not a good situation for you as the agency that’s been charged with putting together a winning submission, and definitely not good for your client, who’ll walk away from the awards ceremony empty handed.
Passion, not PR
One piece of feedback we hear on a regular basis from our judges is “the entry was full of marketing waffle….lots of words, that aren’t telling me anything meaningful”. Suffice to say, those submissions don’t make the cut.
We’re looking for stories that come from the heart, that are written with passion, and that accurately portray the blood, sweat, and tears that have gone into a project. Be honest when you’re reviewing an entry; if it reads like a glossy marketing piece, head back to the drawing board.
This also applies to greenwashing. It’s absolutely fine to say ‘This has made a huge impact’ but make sure you then back that up with evidence, otherwise judges won’t know what that impact was, and whether it’s true or not.
Show us the numbers!
When faced with a question that asks for stats (you’ll probably see the word ‘measurable’ or ‘quantify’!), make sure you actually include the numbers – in these instances, words are not enough, and are going to result in ‘null points’.
By all means, frame the figures, but leaving a response such as “We’re dedicated to identifying and eliminating environmentally harmful practices and processes that contribute to CO2 emissions” and not including the ‘how’ and the evidence to back it up, just won’t cut the mustard.
Cut out the ‘cut and paste’!
If you’re entering multiple categories (or award schemes), you’ll find that – even if it’s subtle – there will be differences in the description and criteria for each. Some of these small variations can have big implications if you don’t adjust your responses accordingly, especially if the weighted scoring percentage for a particular criterion is vastly different. By all means, use another entry as a basis, but ensure you’re across where the differences lie, and meet the requirements on a case by case basis.
Read before you write…
We recommend you read the description and criteria for the category you’re entering at least three times! Once before you start, once after the first draft, and then one final check when you think you’re ready to submit. And don’t forget to attach this information when sending your final draft to someone else to check…they’ll also need to refer to it!
Answer the questions!
You wouldn’t believe it, but this is the most commonly made – and so easily avoidable – mistake. Read the questions, and make sure you fully understand what you need to include in your response! Misinterpretation may lead to providing irrelevant or incorrect answers, which could negatively impact your submission’s quality, as judges will assign points based on how well submissions address the question and criteria.
And, of course, you want to ensure you identify and highlight the achievements that are most relevant, so you can emphasise them appropriately – much simpler to do if you’ve understood what’s being asked 😊
Maintain harmony with your client
At the end of the day, you’ve been charged with putting together a winning entry for someone else. While there are certain elements of this that are out of your control (if a project or initiative doesn’t cut it due to stiff competition, for example), it’s vital that you put the best possible case forward. It’s a slightly more sensitive observation, but one we’ve seen happen, where a lack of endeavour has resulted in the demise of a client/agency relationship. We want to help you avoid this at all costs and, by following the tips we’ve provided, you’ll be off to a very good start!
While this piece is centred on agencies writing on behalf of clients, we have plenty more hints and tips, with more focus on specific categories and criteria here >>
And, please don’t be afraid to reach out to us if you’d like more guidance. We offer bespoke 1-2-1 consultations for individuals and teams from 20-120 min sessions – we want you to be successful, and will do all we can to make that happen!
